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Board denies by‑right residential helistop amendment, asks staff to craft special‑use review
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Summary
The planning board recommended denying TA‑25‑10, which would have allowed helistops in the general residential district as a by‑right use, and instead asked the town board to direct staff to create a staff‑driven special‑use permit category so helipads can be reviewed case‑by‑case.
The Huntersville Planning Board on Nov. 19 voted to deny a proposed zoning change that would have allowed residential helistops as a by‑right use in the general residential (GR) district, but asked town staff to develop a special‑use permit pathway for future, case‑by‑case consideration.
The applicant, Todd Hirschfeld, told the board he wants to occasionally land a personal Robinson R44 helicopter at his waterfront property and had consulted the FAA; he emphasized limited, private daytime use, no fueling or maintenance on site, minimal tree removal and that several private helipads already exist on Lake Norman. Staff, however, recommended denial of the draft by‑right amendment (TA‑25‑10), citing potential nuisances from noise and rotor wash, tree‑clearing safety concerns, lack of regional precedent for residential helistops, and inconsistency with LU‑11.1 of the Huntersville 2040 plan.
Board members repeatedly raised concerns about setting a by‑right precedent across the town, enforcement of recurring operations versus one‑time landings, and whether the town or other agencies control relevant lake setbacks (staff explained Duke Power controls the lake line but the town issues dock permits and retains zoning authority). Several members said that the applicant’s specific site (waterfront lot with long shoreline and over‑water approach) appeared unique and might be appropriate for a tailored process, but they were not prepared to make a by‑right change.
Rather than approve the amendment as written, the board unanimously moved to deny TA‑25‑10 but ask the town board to direct the planning staff to create a staff‑driven text amendment to add a special‑use permit category for helistops/helipads. That process would allow the town to set location‑specific conditions (setbacks, noise limits, tree preservation, aircraft size limits and other operational restrictions) and subject future applications to public notice and quasi‑judicial review. The board’s motion preserves the applicant’s ability to pursue the special‑use route; staff and the applicant both indicated support for that approach.
